Former teacher's aide receives prison time

Thursday, September 21, 2006By Lisa Schlichtman

A former Southwest R-V School District teacher's aide was sentenced to five years in prison on Sept. 14 after pleading guilty to child molestation in the first degree and statutory sodomy in the first degree.

Shanna Lea Angle, 38, of Cassville, was sentenced in Barry County Circuit Court by Judge J. Edward Sweeney two and a half months after admitting she had sexual contact with a Southwest student under the age of 14.

The charges Angle pleaded guilty to involved one victim. Two charges involving a second victim were dismissed by Barry County Prosecutor Johnnie Cox in June when Angle entered a plea of guilty.

Contact between Angle and her victim allegedly occurred between Oct. 1 and Dec. 16, 2005, at the school. Angle also pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual intercourse with one of the students in her home in the Butterfield area on Dec. 16, 2005.

Angle received a five-year sentence for each of the two charges with the sentences to run concurrently.

Former Southwest Superin-tendent Richard Asbill first heard of the allegations involving Angle and two Southwest students on Jan. 25.

"We began an investigation and review of the issue," said Asbill in an interview conducted in January. "We made a referral to the Barry County Sheriff's Office, and when we completed our investigation, we turned the information over to the sheriff's office."

At that time, Asbill also reassured district patrons that "every step was taken to ensure the safety of all the children."

Angle was arrested on Jan. 31 and has been free on $40,000 bond since her formal arraign-ment on Feb. 1.

Angle initially pleaded not guilty to two counts of child molestation in the first degree, one count of statutory sodomy in the first degree and one count of statutory rape in the first degree.

Angle later changed her plea to guilty and admitted to one count of first degree child molestation and one charge of first-degree statutory sodomy.